“Is he hit?” cried Ethan, anxiously, springing forward. “Is he badly wounded?”
“He have his death, sir,” replied Longsword solemnly. “It’s a musket-ball, and from the spot it struck, it split the boy’s brave heart.”
As he spoke the grim Irishman tenderly lowered the still, white form to the deck; then in silence, and with set, hard faces, he and Ethan Carlyle once more turned to the serving of the gun.
At length the Drake was little more than a wreck; her rigging and yards were a wilderness of broken spars and ropes; her canvas was in shreds and two flags had been shot away. Half her guns were dismounted and out of action, and forty of her crew were killed or disabled when at last she struck.
Ethan was with Captain Jones when he boarded the prize; when the prisoners were lined up for inspection they were bitterly disappointed to find that the Lascar was not among them. While Captain Jones was giving his attention to the repairing of the worst damages and the care of the wounded Ethan questioned the boatswain’s mate of the defeated ship.
“A blackamoor, eh,” said the man, thoughtfully. “Now let me see! Oh, yes! I remember. He was taken on board when we stopped in the harbor near St. Mary’s Isle not so long ago. We kept him safely guarded and ironed, sir, for it was said that he was an important prisoner; but on our second day at Carrickfergus he gave us the slip, somehow, and none of us have seen anything of him since.”
CHAPTER XVII
THE SECRET AGENT ONCE MORE
Lieutenant Simpson, as first officer of the Ranger, was placed in command of the Drake, and that vessel was taken in tow and the American man-of-war sailed in quest of more prizes along the Irish coast and then toward Brest.
Sighting a sail, one day, Captain Jones cut the Drake loose after instructing his first officer to make the best of his way into Brest. But Simpson, true to his instincts, changed his course to southward and Paul Jones was compelled to give up the pursuit of several promising prizes in order that he might come up with the captured frigate.
Incensed beyond measure by the insolence of Simpson, he placed the man under arrest, and the command of the Drake was given to Lieutenant Hall, who finally took her into port.